Top Three Don’ts When Caring For Your Child’s Teeth

Here are some common mistakes relevant to dental care that many well intentioned parents make when caring for their child.

• Sleeping With Baby Bottles
  This is probably the most common and most detrimental mistake that so many parents make. Babies are sometimes put to bed with a bottle of sweet milk or juice in their grasp. What ends up happening is that the babies put the bottle in their mouth to suck on and fall asleep in that position. As a result, the bottle (and its contents) sit right next to the baby’s teeth, which, like sucking on candy, leads easily and quickly to tooth decay.
  If your baby falls asleep with a bottle in his or her mouth, remember to take it out of his hands. If you’re putting your baby to sleep with a bottle, only put water in it. As a general rule, don’t put anything too sugary into the contents of the bottle, like milk, juices, or sodas. The best things to put in the bottle include baby formula, breast milk, and water.

• Honeyed Pacifiers
  Some parents find that putting honey or sugar on pacifiers helps babies keep it in their mouths and protest less to being given the pacifier. This practice, while effective, is actually very detrimental to your baby’s oral health, since it leaves sugar in the mouth right next to their teeth for extended periods of time.

• Sugars and Starches
  Both sugary and starchy foods are big contributors to cavities in teeth, regardless of age. Don’t expose your child to them too often. This also prevents them from developing a sweet tooth or bread craving.

Taking care of your baby’s teeth and paying close attention to your child’s oral health sets a good habit and example from the very start of valuing dental care. Even though baby teeth will fall out and be replaced by permanent teeth as your child grows older, you still want to take care of them and protect them from the pain and inconvenience of tooth decay and other oral infections.

If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Lakeway Center today and we will be happy to talk to you or schedule an appointment to see a dentist.